The Present Disclosure relates, generally, to board-to-board connectors.
Conventional board-to-board connectors are used to electrically connect a pair of parallel circuit boards. These connectors are mounted on the surfaces of the pair of circuit boards facing each other, and then mated to establish an electrical connection. The reinforcing brackets have been proposed which are mounted on both ends to function as locking members for keeping the two connectors mated. An example of such a connector is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-210189, the content of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety.
FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) are a perspective view showing reinforcing brackets for conventional board-to-board connectors. In FIG. 8(b), 811 is a first housing for a first connector mounted on a first circuit board (not shown). In FIG. 8(a), 911 is a second housing for a second connector mounted on a second circuit board (not shown). A plurality of first terminals (not shown) are provided in the first housing 811, and a plurality of second terminals (not shown) are provided in the second housing 911. When the first connector and the second connector are mated, the opposing first and second terminals make contact with each other, and an electrical connection is established between the first circuit board and the second circuit board.
A groove-shaped first bracket accommodating recess 826 is formed on both ends of the first housing 811 in the longitudinal direction, and the first reinforcing bracket 851 is forcibly inserted into the first bracket accommodating recess 826 and mounted. The first reinforcing bracket 851 is an integrally formed metal sheet which has been stamped and bent, and includes a main body portion 852, a securing arm portion 856 extending downward from both ends of the main body portion 852 and soldered to the first circuit board, a pair of protruding pieces 857 extending downward from the main body portion 852, an elastic piece 853 formed between the protruding pieces 857, and a locking protrusion 854 protruding from the inner surface of the elastic piece 853.
Similarly, a second reinforcing bracket 951 is mounted on both the left and right ends of the second housing 911 in the longitudinal direction. The second reinforcing bracket 951 is an integrally formed metal sheet which has been stamped and bent, and includes a main body portion 952, a securing arm portion 956 extending downward from both ends of the main body portion 952 and soldered to the second circuit board, and a locking protrusion 954 protruding outward from the main body portion 952.
When the first connector and the second connector are mated, the locking protrusion 854 on the first reinforcing bracket 851 engages the locking protrusion 954 on the second reinforcing bracket 951. In this way, the first connector and the second connector can be locked and kept in a mated state. Either the first housing 811 or the second housing 911 can be on top during the mating process.
However, in conventional board-to-board connectors, the first reinforcing bracket 851 and/or the second reinforcing bracket 951 is elastically deformed. As a result, the first connector and the second connector cannot be locked using a sufficiently large amount of force even when the locking protrusion 854 on the first reinforcing bracket 851 engages the locking protrusion 954 on the second reinforcing bracket 951. In other words, disengaging force, which is force used to disengage the first connector and the second connector, is applied to the first connector and/or the second connector, torsion is applied to the main body portion 852 of the first reinforcing bracket 851 and/or to the main body portion 952 of the second reinforcing bracket 951, and the locking protrusion 854 on the first reinforcing bracket 851 and the locking protrusion 954 on the second reinforcing bracket 951 are easily disengaged. In the case of the first reinforcing bracket 851, the span between the arm portions 856 formed at both ends of the main body portion 852 is lengthy, which increases the amount of torsional deformation of the central section of the main body portion 852. As a result, displacement of the locking protrusion 854 is increased, and it readily disengages from the locking protrusion 954 of the second reinforcing bracket 951.
Also, in conventional board-to-board connectors, when an attempt is made to mate the first connector and the second connector with the first housing 811 shifted slightly in the longitudinal direction, the second connector comes into contact with the outer wall portion 821 of the first housing 811 which stands upright on the outside of the first reinforcing bracket 851. As a result, the first and second connectors cannot be smoothly mated, a large amount of force is applied to the outer wall portion 821 of the first housing 811, and the outer wall portion 821 may be toppled or break.